Sheffield Wednesday: Howard wants to stay with Owls

STEVE Howard believes that Sheffield Wednesday can help him to prolong his career.

The veteran goalscorer - an old enemy of today’s opponents, Leeds - is enjoying life with the Owls so much that he would look favourably on a full move to Hillsborough.

He is only on loan, for the rest of the season, and has another year left on his Hartlepool contract.

The 36-year-old said: “Wait and see - I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

But he admits: “I said from the first time I spoke to Dave Jones that I was going to come here and enjoy my football. I wasn’t enjoying my football at Hartlepool. I’ve come in and I feel as if I’ve been given a new lease of life. I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

He feels as if he has a couple of years left in him: “I’m going to play for as long as I can. I’ve got a few friends who are out of the game and they always say ‘play for as long as you can.’

“I love it here. I’ve started playing with a smile on my face; that’s what I needed.”

He might have left Hartlepool in January. “There were a couple of clubs but it just didn’t quite happen,” he said.

“I jumped at the chance when Dave came in. They’re a lovely set of lads here. I’ve been made to feel really welcome, and it’s nice coming to a team that’s in good form.”

Howard aims to help the Owls notch their fourth win in five games, today at Elland Road, one of his favourite grounds. A scorer of four goals against Leeds in his career, for Leicester and Luton, and looking for his first goal for Wednesday, he said: “I’ve always done well against Leeds teams.

“It’s a good time to play them. They won’t enjoy the prospect of us going up there. With the form we’ve been and the form they’ve been in (four successive defeats), it’s going to be a cracker.

“I love playing at Elland road, always have done. The atmosphere is fantastic; especially with our fans, it will be a good place to play.

“I’ve scored a few goals there. It’s been a nice stomping ground for me. But it won’t be easy there. It’s still going to be a tough game.”

One of his goals against Leeds was a stoppage-time winner in a 1-0 home victory for Leicester in April, 2009, which helped the Foxes clinch the League One title.